Tingham



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. WHITTINGHAM. THERMAL OUT-OUT.

No. 486,952. Patented Sept. 28, 1890.

6 Afro/mm (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. WHITTINGHAM. THERMAL GUT-OUT.

Patented Sept. 23, 1890.

WITNESSES: INVENTOH Q./L %J //W W M 55 W a m: nevus urns 00., mom-unto wnmumou, n. a.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HERBERT WHITTINGHAM, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SlVITCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THERMAL CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,952, dated September 23, 1890.

Application filed July 1, 1889. Renewed February 20, 1890. Serial No. 341,107. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HERBERT WHIT- TINGHAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Fuses, of which the following is a full and complete specification.

My invention relates to that class of de- IO vices which are employed as safeguards to electric circuits known as fuses, and the purpose of which is to protect the circuit and render the passage of a dangerously large current impossible when by any accident a I 5 current comes over the line of such magnitude as would endanger the apparatus through which it would pass. lleretofore these fuses have generally consisted of a strip of lead or other-fusible metal of rather high resistance which was so located in the circuit that when the dangerous current appeared it would be compelled to pass through said strip of lead, which, owing to its resistance, would be heated to such an extent as to melt the metal and z 5 thereby protect the circuit. These devices were generally small in structure, consisting of a short independent strip of metal screwed between clamps. Vhen this fuse was burned, it became necessary to unscrew the clamps, o insert a fresh fuse, and screw the clamps up again. This was a somewhat difficult undertaking for persons unaccustomed to performing it.

My invention which is the subject of this 5 application is an apparatus by which a fresh fuse is supplied by simply turning a knob when the fuse has been burned. It is simple in construction, contains an unlimited numberof fuses, and can be operatedby any novice. In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan of the device with the knob and cover removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device with the cover and knob in position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the device 5 through the line was of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a perspective view of the spool carrying the fuse. Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation of the casing in which the fuse is contained to which the knob is attached and which is provided on its exterior with the wedge-shaped section of a flange. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of said casing with the cover and knob removed. Fig. 7 is a section of said casing, showing the outlet through which the fuse passes. Fig. 8 is a plan of the device, knob being removed, showing the position of the parts when the wedge-shaped flange has been passed through the first clip and said clip has caught and begun to pull the fuse. Fig. 9 is a modified form of fuse-connection.

In the drawings, 1 represents the base of the device; 2, a cylinder made of non-conducting material closed at the bottom, and through the center of which passes a spindle 3, which is secured in the center of the closed end, and is provided on its upper end, which rises above the top ofihe cylinder, with a screw-thread 4. On the exterior of said cylinder and about midway of its height is a section of a laterally-projecting flange 5. Said 7o flange is a little more than a quarter of a cir cle and tapers in two directions in thickness and in widtlnits greatest thickness and greatest width being at one end and its width and thickness growing lessand less until at the other end it is reduced to an edge and apoint. Said cylinder is perforated with a hole 6 near the point where the flange has its greatest width, said hole passing through the cylinder and also horizontally through the thickest part of the flange a short distance from the extremity of the thick end, the thick end of said flange being slotted from the hole (3 to the extremity. t

On the spindle 3, inside of the cylinder 2, is placed the spool 7,.upon which is wound a long strip of fusible material, generally lead, the end of which is passed through the hole 6 and protrudes therefrom. The hole 6 is curved in direction, so that the projecting o portion of the fuse S will assume a position approximately parallel to the circumference of the cylinder.

9 is a cover to the cylinder, perforated in the center, through which the spindle 3 passes. 5

10 is the knob, which is screwed upon the thread 4 on the upper end of the spindle 3, and which serves to hold the cover on the cylinder and at the same time turn the cylinder.

11 and 12 are a pair of spring-clips, made I00 of conducting material in the form of a pair of pliers, which are secured rigidly to blocks of insulating material and provided with binding-posts by which they may be placed in a circuit. These clips are so located as to be approximately tangent to the circumference of the cylinder, and are at such a height above the bed that the center of the clips will be in the same horizontal plane as the center of the wedge-shaped flange 5.

A friction device 13, which may bea spring or any other form of friction structure, is placed between the top of the spool 7 and the cover 9, so as to control the revolution of said spool and prevent its turning except when sufiicient power is applied to the fuse 8to draw it from the spool.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to establish the conducting-circuit between the clips 11 and 12, the parts being in position, shown in Fig. 1, except that thefuse 8 does not connect the clips 11 and 12, the knob 10- is given a half-turn. In doing this the sharp end of the wedgeshaped flange 5 will enter the clip 11, spread its jaws apart, and pass through it. As the thick end of the flange 5 leaves the clip, the spring-jaws will come together and catch the end of the fuse 8, which protrudes from the hole 6 and extends behind the thick end of the flange. The clip 11 will thus hold the end of fuse 8 between its jaws. Another halfturn of the knob 10 will cause the sharp end of the wedge-shaped flange 5 to enter between the jaws of the clip 12 and spread them apart as it passes, the end of the fuse-ribbon 8 being meanwhile held by the clip 11, and the fuse drawn out from the spool 7 through the hole 6 as the cylinder is turned. When the second half-revolution of the knob and cylinder are completed, the thick end of the wedgeshaped flange 5 will pass through the jaws of the clip 12, and said jaws will fall upon and hold between them the fuse 8, which protrudes from the thick end of the flange. It will thus be seen that the ribbon 8, held at its free end by the clip 11, is also held farther on by the clip 12, thereby establishingafuse-connection between said clips.

The advantage of the device is thus apparent. WVhen the fuse between the clips is burned, it is only necessary to turn the knob through one half-revolution and a fresh portion of fuse will be supplied between the clips and complete the circuit. continued indefinitely.

Fig. 9 illustrates another form in which This may be my continuous fuse may be arranged and operated. In this form I use but one clip, which forms one terminal of the circuit, the other terminal being formed by the spindle 4, around which the ribbon is wound and with which it is in electrical contact. It will be observed that the resistance of the solid coil of lead-ribbon will be less than the single strand forming the fuse. Hence the cur rent passes the isolated part of the ribbon between the spool, and the clip having the highest resistance will be burned and the balance left unaffected.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric fuse, the combination of a ribbon of fusible material with a pair of conducting-clips which form the terminals of an electric circuit, and a spreading device suitably mounted to pass between said clips and carrying the fuse-ribbon in position to be engaged by the first clip when the spreader has passed through it and to be held by said clip as the ribbon is drawn from the device carrying it and passed by the spreader through the second clip, substantially as described. 1

2. In an electric fuse, the combination of a ribbon of fusible material with a pair of conducting-clips which form the terminals of an electric circuit, a fuse-bearing cylinder suitably pivoted in relation to said clips and provided on its exterior with a wedge-shaped spreader so located as to pass between said clips as the cylinder isrevolved, the fuse-ribbon protruding from said cylinder at the rear of the spreader and in position tobe engaged by the first clip when the spreader has passed through it and to be held by said clip while the ribbon is drawn from the cylinder and passed by the spreader through the second clip, substantially as described.

3. In an electric fuse, the combination of .a fuse-ribbon electrically connected to one ofthe terminals of an electric circuit, a conducting-clip which forms the other terminal of the circuit, and a spreading device suitably mounted to pass between said clips and carrying the free end of the fuse-ribbon in posi-. tion to be engaged by said clip when the spreader has passed through it, thus establish ing an electric circuit, substantially as described.

GEORGE HERBERT WHIT'IINGHAM. Attest:

ARTHUR STEUART, J NO. T. MADDOX. 

